CNN SATURDAY

Interview With Chris Cotter

Aired August 3, 2002 - 12:34 ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Now on to some baseball talk, where the general manager of the Cincinnati Reds will pay a fine for comparing a potential baseball strike to the September 11 attacks. Jim Bowden told reporters if players strike they should do so on 9/11, quote, "because that's what it's going to do to the game," end quote. He went on to say, union head Donald Furr (ph) should, quote, "drive the plane right into the building," end quote. Bowden was fined, but the baseball commissioner's office did not specify the amount.

Let's talk more about this with Chris Cotter from 790 The Zone, an all-sports radio station here in Atlanta. Well, already Bud Selig has described this as being "very inappropriate," "very intensive" behavior. When you heard of Jim Bowden's remarks, did this shock you?

CHRIS COTTER, 790 THE ZONE: Totally shocked, I mean, shocked because everybody -- there are insensitive remarks made every day around this country, but when you have a business leader like Jim Bowden make these remarks, and then I thought, Cincinnati, here we go again with Cincinnati.

WHITFIELD: Yeah, I was going to say.

COTTER: ... (UNINTELLIGIBLE) you had all of the racial comments many years ago, and then now Jim Bowden in Cincinnati. What is it with Cincinnati? This is a city in the heartland of America, very, very conservative, by comparison to some of the other cities in this country, and yet here we go again with Cincinnati and Jim Bowden making these remarks.

WHITFIELD: So are you seeing that this is rather a coincidence, or do you think they seriously do have a problem within the management of the Cincinnati Reds?

COTTER: I think it's just a coincidence, but it's an unfortunate coincidence.

WHITFIELD: A terrible coincidence.

COTTER: Yeah, that you would have again the people of Cincinnati having to deal with this and having to deal with one of their not only sports leaders in the community, but business leaders in their community.

WHITFIELD: Now, Jim Bowden has since apologized. I'd like to read that apology for those who are unaware of that. He says, "earlier today while speaking to a group of reporters, I made a horrible comparison between baseball's labor situation and the tragedy of 9/11." He says: "I regret making such extremely insensitive remarks, and I apologize to anyone I may have offended. I am truly sorry." Now, the Baseball Commission has since fined him. We don't know exactly what the fine is. Is that enough? Or is it time to really lay down the law? Is a firing would be more appropriate after such remarks like this?

COTTER: Yeah, I think that's completely up to the management there at Cincinnati, the ownership of the team as to whether he should be fired or not. I certainly don't think baseball should step in and make any type of decision in that regard.

For me, I think what this really shows is that there is a lot more tension right now than some people maybe realize with the impending strike on the horizon, because I think now you're getting people making comments that they ordinarily might not make, and maybe getting a little nervous and a little bit antsy because there is so much on the line with this thing. If they do strike in September, baseball, you know, will it ever come back? Who knows. How much money will general managers lose? How much money will these teams lose? Quite a bit.

So I think what that shows to me is that there are some cracks, some chinks in the armor here. People are starting to get really, really nervous and antsy about this thing really happening.

WHITFIELD: All right, as well as fans. And you know, of course, talks could come at the end of the month, as it appeals to a decision on whether indeed there will be a strike. So we'll be watching.

COTTER: Well, the other thing, too, Fredricka, real quick, is that the players actually have September 11 in mind, thinking about it, boy, do we strike right before, do we strike right afterward. (UNINTELLIGIBLE), and you know, people are going to be thinking on September 11 that, you know, that's a day of remembrance and mourning, and you don't really want to impact that with, you know, a baseball strike.